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Rising Ill-Manners Towards Turkish Islamist Ruling Party AK Takes Toll On Country’s Future
28 July 2009
While Turks struggle to pay food and utility bills and make the minimum payments on their credit cards amid rising unemployment due to economic hardships caused by global economic turmoil, their representatives in Parliament are unable to stop bickering, leaving the country's long-standing problems unsolved. It has become obvious that opposition parties are united in their opposition to the government on all fronts and are determined to not give the ruling party any credit for introducing legislation that may be seen as a positive development for the government. The deep division running between the government and opposition parties has come to a point that hurts the economy and the country's national interests. The lack of communication and trust is also preventing legislation such as the commercial code and other laws on technical reforms required by the European Union from coming to the floor of Parliament for debate and discussion. What is troublesome here, analysts say, is that the reforms have nothing to do with party ideologies and would benefit all in the country if adopted. A case in point is the government's recent initiative to solve the decades-old Kurdish problem. Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputies complain the opposition is not behaving responsibly on this issue of national interest but rather criticizing the government for the sake of criticism instead of presenting a positive contribution through counter proposals. “The opposition should either support steps taken by the government to solve outstanding issues in the country or submit its own proposals for a review in a bid to contribute to a solution,” Bekir Bozdag, an AK Party parliamentary group deputy chairman, told Sunday's Zaman. “If political parties do away with petty politics, avoid trading accusations of treason and stop name calling, we would be in a better position to solve many of the country's acute problems collectively,” he underlined. Onur Öymen, deputy head of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), is concerned that the government has been reluctant to share information in general. “They should inform our deputies better and make an effort to convince our members if they are sincere in reaching a compromise,” he told Sunday's Zaman. “The government is the executive branch of this country and thus has the responsibility to lead the nation and find solutions to problems plaguing the nation,” he said, stressing that the CHP has every right to criticize government proposals when it deems necessary. Parliament deadlocked Öymen, however, acknowledges that both the government and opposition parties need to find a compromise in a civil manner and through a democratic system. “We should be able to get Parliament working to find national problems,” he said, adding that the CHP had unveiled its own alternative solution packages to problems such as the Kurdish issue. However, the huge mistrust that has developed among parties in Parliament is derailing most urgently needed reforms. Talks of solutions to the Kurdish issue seem to have picked up speed when President Abdullah Gül called the matter Turkey's most vital issue, saying the country is at a historic crossroads in finding a compromise. He started rounds of talks with key stakeholders, including opposition party leaders. While appreciating the invitation, Öymen says Gül did not offer any details to CHP leader Deniz Baykal on the details of any solution package at the meeting. “How can we know the source for renewed optimism on the Kurdish issue if no one tells us about it?” he lamented. According to published reports, the CHP supports removing legal and administrative obstacles to learning Kurdish. The party also wants to air Kurdish programming on private television stations in addition to the public channel launched by the government. It advocates for the placement of Kurdish-speaking public workers in the predominantly Kurdish East and Southeast. But the CHP is against a general amnesty for outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) members while the fight against terrorism continues. Bozdag lashed out at the CHP, saying that they try to make the AK Party look as though it has ulterior motives. “We have never said we would negotiate with terrorists nor called for amnesty,” he said. Bozdag admits, however, that without the opposition's approval, any steps taken to solve issues such as the Kurdish problem are doomed to failure. “If government initiatives do not get the endorsement from the general public, the policies will be unsustainable,” he said, warning that the opposition will be responsible for the continuation of terrorism and bloodshed. The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) is the party most sensitive to issues such as Kurdish nationalism and the activities of the outlawed PKK. In an interview with Sunday's Zaman, the party's parliamentary group deputy chairman, Oktay Vural, spoke about the “perception problem” in dealing with the most pressing issues the nation faces today. Vantage point differs The MHP's approach differs from others because the party sees the Kurdish problem from a terrorism vantage point. “We notice some circles reduce the problem to ethnicity and describe it differently,” he said, warning that divisions based on ethnic or sectarian lines pose a danger to the fabric of society. Vural further says his party has unveiled many programs regarding problems that need to be dealt with in earnest. If the MHP is standing in the far right corner, the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) stations itself on the opposite corner of the political spectrum. Speaking to Sunday's Zaman, DTP Mus deputy Nuri Yaman accused the government of not being bold enough to tackle core problems facing the country. “The government identified problems and root causes already, but it is hesitant to follow through to cure the illness,” he said, adding that transparency and openness will be paramount in governing the country. It has become obvious that both the government and the opposition are blaming each other for putting stumbling blocks on the road to the solution of the country's pressing problems. Accusing the government of raising tension in political debates, Öymen said he believes that issues can no longer be debated with cool heads. “If the opposition says something critical of the government, it is accused of not acting in good faith,” he noted, saying this is not good for the future of democracy in the country. “We need to be able to form better communication with each other on the Kurdish issue, Cyprus, Armenia and European Union relations. We should be able to exert effort to try to understand one another and be patient with each other. It is the government's responsibility to be able to listen to opposition circles and respond when warranted,” he said. Not surprisingly, AK Party deputies voice the same concerns when asked how to approach pressing problems such as the Kurdish issue. Bozdag says the CHP is simply dodging its responsibility on important issues concerning national security. He accused the CHP of trying to exploit the potentially explosive issue for political gain. “Surely the government bears the responsibility for ruling the country, but we need to account for the view of the public when approaching issues. Both political parties and civil society organizations should play a constructive role and help us solve these problems,” he said. Dual structure in government DTP deputy Yaman argues that the government is afraid to take the initiative to solve core issues. He points out that the National Security Policy Document, also known as the red book, causes most problems facing the country. “The secrecy of this document must be removed, and it should be opened to debate,” he said, calling for accountability and a review of National Security Council (MGK) decisions. “During the democratization process, basic rights and freedoms should be placed under constitutional protection. These rights should include constitutional citizenship, education in one's native language, changes to the Law on Political Parties and the Elections Law. Everyone in Turkey agrees that practices implemented so far are not compatible with universal democratic values. I think we are at a critical moment, the point at which we can solve our problems, and this will begin with solving the Kurdish issue,” Yaman said. It appears all parties want a solution but differ on the approach. To reconcile these differences, however, warrants constant communication and a strong will to find a compromise. Any lack of effective communication and the tendency to use issues for political gain in the short term hampers sincere efforts to resolve conflicts and endangers the country's future. Representing a party chosen to govern the country through democratic elections, AK Party deputy Bozdag stresses that problems are not only confined to today's agenda. “These issues should be above governments and parties,” he stressed, giving credit to all prior Cabinets in striving to find solutions. “It was unfortunate that some were accused of being unpatriotic when they proposed solutions to the Kurdish problem,” he said, adding that everyone, be they the government or opposition parties, should pitch in to find a compromise on pressing issues concerning the country.
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